DHL Freight has established a Control Tower, where all streams of goods in Europe are monitored, providing a unique opportunity to consolidate complex data and identify areas where operations may be optimized. The staff in the control room has, for example, access to the current position of arriving and departing trucks, sees real-time capacity distribution and can allocate resources with an on-demand basis. This data transparency increases the overall efficiency of the terminal processes.

By using these data streams DHL is ableto create a Connected Supply Chain that involves information from various stakeholders.

BMW CONNECTED SUPPLY CHAIN

Connected Supply Chain (CSC), a BMW system, depicts the entire supply chain digitally, delivering real-time, end-to-end visibility and management control to all relevant stakeholders. Aspects such as order and status data are visible via a central portal, and orders receive a single reference number from beginning to end.

Drivers can access the system via a mobile application designed specifically for them. DHL Freight’s solution was developed together with AXIT, a specialist for in cloud-based IT solutions. This partner is known for managing cross-enterprise logistics processes, in order to feed CSC with the relevant information. The transparency and control afforded by CSC give BMW a real-time overview of developments.

Technology Info Graphic

Using Lithium Ion Batteries in our forklift trucks or pallet trucks is a great step ahead. But wouldn’t it be nice to improve the daily charging process? Let’s get rid of all those cables, manual processes for charging and worst case empty batteries when forklifts are needed. A solution that avoids decreased productivity during charging time and safes space when forklifts are loading. Inductive charging technology integrated into the floor can do this. The forklift truck of the future will be charged while in operation. That means increased productivity through cable free charging while driving and around 30% more runtime during shift.

Looking at the fast processes in a DHL Freight terminal solutions are required that can keep up with the pace of the daily business. “Dimensioning in Motion” is a relatively young concept. Forklifts with a pallet can pass a gate without stopping and putting down the cargo. Mounted to this gate two infrared, Laser Sensors or Stereo Vision Cameras are scanning the moving forklift and pallet. Driven by complex algorithms in a first step the forklift is digitally removed from the data. In a second step the system calculates the dimensions of the remaining load. This happens in (nearly) real time.

Agheera has been founded in 2010 as a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL. It has its origins in a research project in 2007 from DPDHL´s innovation department. The result of researches and development is a hardware solution which is connected to a solar panel to provide itself with power.

Next to the hardware solution, Agheera developed a service that integrates data sources of multiple telematic service providers into one homogeneous data format. The data consolidation supports standardized telematic data integration into business processes and software. Agheera consolidates data from different telematic service providers and makes it visible on Agheera´s own portal for the customer. Due to additional services as real time tracking with map and list view, live ETA calculation, geofencing, notification engine and more, the customer has a compromised overview of his fleet, trips, shipments and assets.

The main advantages of this technology are the small size of the transponder, the inconspicuous reading possibilities and the low price of transponders. The connection between the two elements works via highly frequent radio waves which are used to transport the data and to load the transponder. In the logistic industry this technology can be used for example to track shipments indoor.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) is a technology based on the transmitter-receiver system that contactless identifies objects using radio waves. A RFID system consists of a transponder that is located at or in the object and contains a unique code and a reading device that receives this code.

UWB (Ultra-wideband) is a system used for the close range communication on mass markets. The most important element is the extremely high ranges of frequencies with a minimum bandwidth of 500 Megahertz. A big advantage of this technology is that it can be used without a license. Common areas where UWB can be used include:

• High-rate services for short distances (e.g. multi-media devices)
• Low-cost and energy efficient devices with tracking options and moderate data rates (e.g. sensor networks)
• Medical applications (e.g. monitoring of heart rate)
• Hardly locatable communication

A future alternative to track and localize objects, such as pallets, with a physical tracker (e.g. RFID) could be the usage of “Computer Vision”.

Pictures or video streams which are recorded via cameras are the basis of this technology. Within this stream of picture material an algorithm (or an artificial intelligence) can objects in the terminal in real-time using an existing digital fingerprint of the object.

The biggest advantage of this technology is the abandonment of additional hardware such as transmitters of antennas as used in systems based on radio wave technologies.

A major “bottleneck” in the terminal processes is the inbound and outbound scan of the shipment labels. Placed on nearly every possible position on the cargo currently they have to be located and scanned manually by an employee. This is a time consuming process step which prevents the employee from doing more sophisticated tasks.

The concept of a batch shipment label scanner describes a system of several infrared or laser scanners, mounted to a gate at the cargo dock which detects and scans all labels on a shipment while passing the gate. An intelligent algorithm separates the needed (“the good”) from the unwanted obsolete or irrelevant labels which often can be found on the cargo. Relevant information is transferred automatically into the Terminal Management System.

What makes a forklift smart? In the past the forklift was just used to transport from A to B. This function remains the same but is enhanced by features such as real-time tracking, integrated weighing forks and inductive charging of lithium-ion batteries. To find out more about these technologies please click on the respective part of the forklift.

The term telematic consists of the words telecommunication and informatics. The technology connects the mobile data exchange with computer-based processing of this information. By using this technology it is possible to transfer data between vehicles and bookers digitally within a system platform.

A telematics system permanently gathers data via mobile car devices (“on-board units”) and sends them to a server which processes them into the system platform. The platform reorganizes it in a user-friendly overview. At the same time the data is being analyzed and archived to make evaluations possible. This data is being provided to drivers and bookers in real-time. Thereby it is also possible to track a telematics forklift inside the terminal and exchange important data such as loading spaces of shipments.

A weighing fork can be included into a normal forklift to enable real-time weighing when a pallet or shipment is being lifted. Legal for trade certified these forks can carry between 3000 and 5000 kilograms of cargo. The fork is able to add pieces and weighs continuously based on the loading of different goods. The data sets can be send wireless to the Terminal Management System or to single devices based on Bluetooth. Every fork is equipped with long-life batteries that can be exchanged easily. Using this process within a DHL terminal saves time and resources and thereby enables smoother processes.

Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless charging that uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects through electromagnetic induction. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device.

The charging station in a DHL terminal can be based underneath the floor in certain areas. As soon as an intelligent forklifts drives over this area the battery is automatically charged via the electromagnetic field. This increased the usage rates of the vehicles and saves time and costs.

A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery (abbreviated as LIB) is a type of rechargeable battery, first proposed by chemist M. Stanley Whittingham at Exxon in the 1970s. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are growing in popularity for military and aerospace applications.

In the batteries lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. Li-ion batteries use an intercalated lithium compound as one electrode material, compared to the metallic lithium used in a non-rechargeable lithium battery. The batteries have a high energy density, no memory effect (other than LFP cells) and low self-discharge.

A robotic vacuum cleaner, often called a robovac or roboVac, is an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner which has intelligent programming and a limited vacuum floor cleaning system. The original design included manual operation via remote control and a "self-drive" mode which allowed the machine to clean autonomously without human control. Some designs use spinning brushes to reach tight corners, and some include a number of cleaning features along with the vacuuming feature (mopping, UV sterilization, etc.).

An advantage using a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner is how quiet it is compared to regular vacuum cleaners. Also, they are seen as more convenient to use due to the fact it can vacuum on its own. In every DHL terminal cleanliness is a very important fact and is supported by this robotic solution that saves both time and resources.

Could collaboration with robots be a possible solution to current problems? Could a machine that works with its human colleagues help fill the future gap between the required workforce and the available labor pool? Could robots help make logistics jobs easier so that employees can happily work into their 60s and beyond?

Robotics technology is finally beginning to catch up with our desire to have a robot that is flexible and low cost enough to work in the logistics and distribution environment. To see two examples of robotic Co-Working at DHL please press on the video icons:

Could collaboration with robots be a possible solution to current problems? Could a machine that works with its human colleagues help fill the future gap between the required workforce and the available labor pool? Could robots help make logistics jobs easier so that employees can happily work into their 60s and beyond?

Robotics technology is finally beginning to catch up with our desire to have a robot that is flexible and low cost enough to work in the logistics and distribution environment. To see two examples of robotic Co-Working at DHL please press on the video icons:

The semi-autonomous swap body mover simplifies the daily work of its driver by intelligent assistance systems. The driver just has to position the truck in front of the container. Now the automation takes over. The driver only has to use the gas pedal or the brake. Guided by the precise information of a LIDAR (Laser) scanner, the truck is moved swiftly and securely between the legs of the swap body. Damaged containers belong to the past.

When using the flexible marking technology a projecting device is being set-up on the ceiling of the terminal. This device is able to project various forms such as lines, boxes or arrows on the floor. This creates the possibility of flexible room management in the terminal meaning that sections or ways can be changed on a regular basis.

Using this technology provides various advantages with regards to warehouse management. The space, that is one of the most valuable resources in the warehouse, can be easily adjusted and used in a much more efficient way. For example a loading zone that is only used from Monday to Wednesday could be marked as a storing space on the other days of the week. The technology also has a positive effect on the safety inside the terminal e.g. by creating flexible visitor walking paths on the floor.

PICTURES FROM COLOGNE TERMINAL

DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, has successfully carried out a pilot project testing smart glasses and augmented reality in a warehouse in the Netherlands. In cooperation with DHL customer Ricoh and wearable computing solutions expert Ubimax, the technology was used to implement ‘vision picking’ in warehousing operations.

Staff was guided through the warehouse by graphics displayed on the smart glass to speed up the picking process and reduce errors. The pilot proved that augmented reality offers added value to logistics and resulted in a 25 percent efficiency increase during the picking process.

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real-world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory, and olfactory. The overlaid sensory information can be constructive (i.e. additive to the natural environment) or destructive (i.e. masking of the natural environment) and is seamlessly interwoven with the physical world such that it is perceived as an immersive aspect of the real environment.

In this way, augmented reality alters one's ongoing perception of a real-world environment, whereas virtual reality completely replaces the user's real-world environment with a simulated one.

A smart glove is a combination of textiles and an embedded barcode scanner which can be used to scan the label of a shipment. The scanner can for example be triggered by pressing the thumb and fist finger together. This means that they have both hands free for their work and save additional hand movements, to pick up and put down the scanner for example.

The scanner communicates with the receiver unit by radio. This access point is connected via USB or a normal serial connector; the installation of additional software is not necessary. The battery charge is designed to last for the period of a working shift and can then be fully recharged within two hours.

The Yard Manager is an internet-based yard management software that has been developed to control all processes on the terminal yard in an efficient and user-friendly way. The section and department-focused teamwork gets improved by using standardized and automated working procedures.

The tool is the basis for a unique communication combined with high security standards that focus especially on the technical processes within the yard. The Yard Manager” is the central interface for the handling centers, the transport operators, the forwarding agents, the yard services, the usher, the control station, the bookers and the workshop.

A license plate recognition system is normally set up at the entrance to the terminal yard and fulfills two important tasks. First, it can be used as a security system that scans the plate and only allows access to the terminal grounds to vehicles that have already been registered beforehand.

Secondly, the system can submit the arrival time of the respective truck to the control center. Here the dispatcher can assign a gate that ensures maximum efficiency in all the following processes. The loading gate could then directly be displayed on a screen to the driver before he enters the yard or be submitted to an application on the driver’s phone. Using such an application, the drivers can also be easily informed about delays, specialties or gate changes.

A license plate recognition system is normally set up at the entrance to the terminal yard and fulfills two important tasks. First, it can be used as a security system that scans the plate and only allows access to the terminal grounds to vehicles that have already been registered beforehand.

Secondly, the system can submit the arrival time of the respective truck to the control center. Here the dispatcher can assign a gate that ensures maximum efficiency in all the following processes. The loading gate could then directly be displayed on a screen to the driver before he enters the yard or be submitted to an application on the driver’s phone. Using such an application, the drivers can also be easily informed about delays, specialties or gate changes.

Inside a modern terminal you can find many autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles and machineries. Such an intelligent vehicle is able to move around the terminal on its own and is able to find the right way to different zones or work stations within in the building. Using such a vehicle is reducing walking time of the employees and makes the working processes much more efficient.

However when such a device is being used the safety of the employees needs to be ensured at all time. Therefore the intelligent vehicles use zone control technology to scan their environment and never collide with a human or object. Furthermore these system knows exactly which areas in the terminal are restricted or dangerous and should therefore not been entered.

Smart thermostats are thermostats that can be used with home automation and are responsible for controlling a building’s heating and/or air conditioning. They perform similar functions as a Programmable thermostat as they allow the user to control the temperature of a building throughout the day using a schedule, but also contain additional features, such as sensors and WiFi connectivity, that improve upon the issues with programmable thermostats,

Like a connected thermostat, they are connected to the Internet. They allow users to adjust heating settings from other internet-connected devices, such as a laptop or smartphones. This allows users to control the thermostat directly from the control room of the Freight terminal. This ease of use is essential for ensuring energy savings.

As a global company we value the diversity of our employees as a genuine strength. Our organization brings together people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds – all with different skills, experiences and viewpoints. Diversity embodies all the differences that make us unique individuals. It is not limited to gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or any other characteristic protected under law.

We promote an inclusive work environment, guided by mutual respect, openness, honesty and the spirit of trust and cooperation, in order to attain the highest possible productivity, creativity and efficiency. The diversity of our employees mirrors the diversity of our customers, suppliers and investors. It enables us to deliver innovative products and services that make our customers successful. We believe that everyone at DPDHL can contribute to our joint success.

Being all different, together we are successful.

Women in Road Freight

We at DHL Freight truly believe that a diverse workforce has a positive contribution towards the power, passion, pride and pace of our company. Therefore gender equality is an aim that is followed in every company role – from top management positions to operational jobs directly in our terminals.

With our internal series “Power Ladies” we interviewed many different female colleagues in various jobs throughout DHL Freight asking questions about what they love about their jobs, what challenges they face and why they work in road freight business. The answers all had one thing in common: The formerly men-dominated road freight sector is by now a work environment that provides equal chances and opportunities for women and men alike.